Traction-engine.



J. M. MITTBNDORF.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 22, 1909.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

. z ua m m u m N E H s I H mm Witness lucmman l J. M. MITTENDORF.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIOA'NION mum 811N222, 1909.

Patented Apr. 25, 1911.

SHEETS-SHEET Z W It J. M. MITTENDORF.

TBAGTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1909.

v Patented Apr.25, 1911.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3 'mwntoz,

J; M. 11111351100111, TRACTION ENGINE. 1

APYLIOATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1909.

990,374. Patented Apr.25, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

' JOHN M. mrr'r'nnponr,

TRACTION-ENGINE. a

Specification of Letters in STATES PATENT orrron OF ST,- LOUIjS, MISSOURI.

t n Patented Apr. 25, isii.

22, 1909. Serial No. 518,977.

Application filed September plows, cultivators and other farming implements or machines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical machine of this character. the use of which will effect great saving in manual labor, and which has an improved front steering and propelling wheel which will enable the machine to make very short turns.

\Vith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved lnachine;- Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the wheel on they near side being removed and its axle being insection; Figs. 3 to 11 inclusive are detail sectional views taken, respectively on the planes indicated by the lines s s, 4-4, 5-5, e c, 7 7, 8-8, 9,-9, 10-10 and 1111 inFigz 1; andFig. 12 is a detail section showing the friction clutch. Fig. 13 is a detail section taken on the plane indicatedby the line 13-13 in Fig. 8. I

The invention. comprises a body or platform 1 preferably of triangular shape and made of wood and having its side edges bound by a strip of metal, as indicated at 2. Journaled in suitable bearings-on the recessed rear portion 3 of the platform is a rear 21Xl64 carrying traction wheels 5. The rear portion of the frame is supported on these wheels .5 and its tapered front end is supported by a smaller traction wheel which is also used for steering themachirief The wheel 6, as shown more clearly injiig; 8, is journals-d on a stub axle carried bythe ofiset lower'end or arm 7 of a tubular up- 1 right 8 rotatable-in a bearing bracket 9pm-v jecting from the front end of the platform. The upright 8 has fixed to it abeveled gear 10 which meshes with a beveled pinion '11 i, on a rearwardly extending shaft 12. The t latter is journaled in bearings upon two up;

rights 13, 14 rising has upon its rear end a hand wheel disposed within convenient reach of the operator who occupies a seat 15 suitably locatedat the rear portion of the platform. By turningthe hand wheel or shaft 12, the tubular upright S will be rotated to dispose the wheel 6 in different directions for steering purposes.

Secured to the wheel 6 is a crown gear ring 16 with which meshes a pinion or gear which is rotatable in the tubular upright 8. The gear 17 is loose uponsaid shaft 18 so that it can rotate independently thereof in one direction, but it is adapted to be locked thereto by providing verse pivot bolt 18? two oppositely prO epting pawls 18 to engage an annular series of ratchet teeth 18 on the upper face of 'the gear 17. Owing to this construction the front wheel 6 will not be positively dr ven by the motor, as hereinafter explained, unless the rear driving wheels slip, whereupon said front wheel will be positively driven to pull the machine in a forward direct on, Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 18 1s a beveled gear 19 which meshes with a pinion is journaled in a bearing on the upright or standard 13 and a bearing on ttSll'Illlt-tl'jll): right 22 and on its rear end is ap nron 23 ,which meshes with a crown gear Qtfiized to the crank shaft 25 of a gasoleneengme 26 or any other engine or motor, By reason of the gearing just described, it will be seen that the motion of the engine willbe 1mparted to the wheel 6 so that the latteriwill act as a drive or traction wheel. To permit the wheel 6 to be thrown out of gear,

from the platform and 17 looseon the lower end of a vertical shaft on the ends of a trans 20 on the front end of a shaft 21, The latter the lever '27, the intermediate portion of which "platform. l V

has an apertured enlargement 28 adapted to receive the shaft 25 and to be loosely re-,

tained thereon between two pins 29. The forward end of-the lever 27 is angulanand has a bearing for the shaft 21 and its rear vendserves as a handle and carries aspring projected and hand retracted pawl 30 to 'engage a segmental locking rack 31 arranged" on a bracket or upright rising from the Provided upon the rear traction wheels 5 are-sprocket'wheels 32 which are connected by,sprocket chains to' sprocket wheels or pinions 33 fixed to the ends of a transverse shaft 34 journaled in hearings on the plat-- form. The shaft 34 is preferably made in two sections which are cionnectedby a suitable differential gear here shown as inclosed in a casing 35: The shaft-34 is driven biva sprocket chain 3.7 extending from the dif- ,ferential gear in the casing to a sprocket wheel 38 provided on the periphery of one of the members 39'of, a friction clutch, Said member 39 is in the formof a drum loosely arranged on the engine shaft 25 and"adapted to be locked to said shaft for rotation therewith by -co-acting friction clutch mem 'bers 40 in the form of shoes-operativelv 35 connected to a sliding hub 41 on said shaft-- by .Ineans of links 42. The hub or collar 41 has a groove for the forked end of a shifttermediate its ends at44 and'has its rear- 40 in}; lever 43, which latter is fulcrumed inend pivoted to an operating rod 45 slidably arranged in a bearing 46. The free end of the rod 45 is offset to provide a handle'por tion 47 adapted to be sprung into 'andout of engagement with a stationary locking "rack 48 and the friction clutch may be ad-' justed to throw the traction wheels 5 into orout of gear and also to control the speed c of said wheels and hence of the machine.

49 .denotes a friction brake wheel fixed to. the rear axle 4 and around which passes a' friction'ibrake band 50. The latter has one end secured to the platform and its other end connected to a foot level-51 pivoted on top of the platform adjacent to the'operators seat. This brake gives the operator greater control over the movement of 'the machine.

v .The machine as-abovc describedma-y be used as a traction engine for propelhng vehicles or the like over roads and for propelling agricultural implements through elds and for similar purposes and it may also be used for drlvln threshing maclnnes,

. sewing machines, or similar stationary madriven. 7

chinery by suitably anchoring the machine and connecting one of the fly wheels52gefthe engine 26 by a belt to the machine-to be I have illustrated in the drawings, my invention embodied in a traction engine, carrying'a gang of plows 54. These ;plows are carried by a vertically swi ing frame 53 adapted to be secured in ad usted position and'said plows are also mounted "for horizontal swinging, movement whereby they adjusted position. It is thought that from the foregoing de- .may be a'dpisted laterally and retained in tail descriptiontaken'inconnection with the accompanyingdrawings the construction, operation and advantages of the Invent on will be readily understood without a more detailed explanation. .It will he noted, however, that by means of my machine large tracts of ground may be quickly plowed andcultivated at a small expenditureof labor and that when the machine i1" not-used in this way'it may be used about the farm'for traction and power purposes,

Having thus described the in-ventiou'u'hat is claimed is:

"1. In amachine of the character described, the combination of. av body provided with a bearing, altubular upright rotatable in said bearing and havlng an enlarged oft-set lower,

end carrying a horizontal pivot, alsteering wheel journalcd on'sai d pivot, a gear con-' centric with said wheel and carried thereby, an upright shaft rotatable in said tubular upright, a loosely mountedgear on the lower end. of said shaft to mesh with the gear on the steering wheel, and carrying an'annular series of ratchet teeth, a pawl carried by the shaft to engage said ratchet .teet-h,' 'a motor on the body frir rotating said shaft, and

meansfor rotating said tubular upright to change the direction of the steering wheel. 2'. 'In a machine of the character descrlbed,

the.combinationof a body having a hearingat its front end, a tubular upright in said bearing, a .vertieal shaftrotatabl'e in said tubularupright, a steering wheel carriedby the lower end of said tubular upright, and

driven from saidshaft, means for turningthe tubular upright to change the direction of the steering wheel," a motor carried by the body and having a transversely aria-urged -alongitudinal shaft and movable into'and out of mesh with the gear on, the motor shaft,

by reason vof t lateralmovementof said longitudinal sha gearing connecting the front end of the longitudinal shaft to said vertical shaft, spaced stops on the motor shaft, a gear fixed to the last mmitirnierl shaft, other bearlngs on sa d hotly, a longitudinal shaft mounted in the last mei'itioned vbeing engaged withthe rear portion of the longitudinal shaft for shifting the latter In testirnony whereof I hereunto 'afiix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. MITTENDORF.

Witnesses:

laterally, and means-for locking said lever A. R. PERLE, in adjusted position. I FRED. K. SCHNIEDEB.

shaft; a lever having an open portion to loosely receive the motor shaft and arranged on the latter between said stops, said lever 

